My tent pole snapped in a windstorm at Joshua Tree

It happened last month during a gust that came out of nowhere around 2 AM. The aluminum pole section just gave way, and the whole side of my tent collapsed on me. I had to use a roll of gorilla tape and a spare trekking pole to rig it up for the rest of the night. Has anyone else had a pole fail, and what's a good tent brand that can handle serious wind?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_ramirez31d ago

Everything feels flimsy these days.

owens.anthony1d ago

Yeah, like @kim_ramirez3 said, it's all cheap plastic now. I bought a new can opener last week and the handle snapped right off, just trying to open some soup. Makes you miss when stuff was built to last, you know? Feels like you gotta buy the same thing three times just to get one that makes it through the year.

evahenderson1d ago

Actually, aluminum poles are usually pretty strong, the problem is they can get tiny dents or bends you don't notice. Once there's a weak spot, a big gust finds it. I've had good luck with Hilleberg tents for wind, they're built for it, but they cost a fortune. For something cheaper, look at brands that use thicker pole diameters, that makes a huge difference.